Shepherd’s Pie Mashed Potatoes
These Shepherd’s Pie Mashed Potatoes are a delicious comfort meal…perfect for cold winter days!
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Oh, 2017. Where did you go? It seems like just yesterday when I was sitting in our basement with a couple of friends watching the ball drop. And now it’s time to do it again. 2017 has been a good year, though, so I can’t complain. Little Robbie has grown like a weed, and it’s a blast having him around the house. One big exhausting blast.
Asking parents to keep up with the energy of toddlers is like nature’s version of a cruel joke. Seriously. That kid runs circles around our kitchen island just for fun. Meanwhile, I sit on the couch wondering why my hip has been hurting lately. Geez, I really am an old man! Pretty soon, I’m going to be like Grandpa Simpson writing complaint letters to my congressman about my disdain for the metric system. (Just kidding…I actually really like the metric system!)
As we wrap up this year, we find ourselves heading into the cold, cold winter here in upstate New York. Temperatures hit -6°F a couple of nights ago, and that just calls for curling up on the couch next to the fire. (Either that, or it calls for going to the curling club!) Delicious comfort food helps us survive these cold months, and these Shepherd’s Pie Mashed Potatoes are the very definition of cold weather comfort food.
What’s more, these Shepherd’s Pie Mashed Potatoes are a great way to use up any leftover mashed potatoes that you might have hanging around in the fridge after your holiday dinner. Heck, even if you don’t have any leftover mashed potatoes, you can whip up a quick batch using this easy slow cooker mashed potatoes recipe.
Shepherd’s Pie is a classic comfort food. It’s the kind of food that you’d find in a local pub in the English countryside. It’s inexpensive, hearty and relies largely on leftovers. I chose to use ground beef here, but any sort of leftover meat will work. Got some leftover ham or turkey from Christmas dinner? Throw it in! Technically, a shepherd’s pie uses ground lamb, but Google tells me that the term is largely synonymous with either lamb or beef. (In fact, if you make this one with leftover turkey and ham, then it would be called a St. Stephen’s Day Pie.) Furthermore, a shepherd’s pie is actually a meat and veggie filling baked with a layer of mashed potatoes on top. I flipped that one around and put the filling on top of a bed of mashed ‘taters. Same thing…just a different way to present it!
No matter what you call it, it’s delicious. It’s comforting. It’s the perfect meal as we head into Old Man Winter’s embrace. And with that, I’m off to cut the tags off my mattress. Cheers, friends!
Shepherd’s Pie Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium white onion diced
- 2 stalks celery sliced
- 2 large carrots peeled and diced
- 1 tsp garlic minced
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ cup beef stock
- 1½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup corn fresh or frozen
- ½ cup peas fresh or frozen
- ½ cup green beans fresh or frozen
- 6 cups leftover mashed potatoes
- {optional} ¼ cup whole milk
- {optional} ¾ cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Using a large, deep sauté pan, add butter and olive oil; place over medium-high heat. Once butter has melted, add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, salt, pepper and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 7-8 minutes, or until vegetables have softened.
- Add the ground beef and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until beef is fully cooked and no longer pink.
- Add the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, corn, peas and beans. Bring to a simmer and then reduce heat to low. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes, or until liquid has mostly (but not entirely) evaporated.
- Meanwhile, prepare the leftover mashed potatoes by heating along with milk and cheese (optional).
- To serve, divide mashed potatoes into bowls or plates and top with beef mixture.
You are lucky to have Robbie to entertain you all the time!! He is such a cute adorable little guy!! I wish you weren’t so old and would have kept up with his energy levels ;). And I love your comforting version of Shepherd’s pie!! It’s filling and yummy! Perfect for a warm, cozy meal!!
Robbie really is such an entertainment, Deepika! I mean he has his challenges as he’s working out how to deal with his emotions right now…but 99% of the time, he’s wonderful! Hey now! Are you calling me old?? 🙂 This version of shepherd’s pie was a huge hit in our house…I mean it’s pretty much the perfect comfort food! Thank you for the kind comment, my friend!
LOVE the Simpsons reference. I frequently tell people that everything’s coming up Milhouse for me when they ask how I am :). Maybe we could find a way to harness Robbie’s and Cookie’s energy; between the two of them they must have enough to power a small city. I’ll put my thinking cap on and work on the details. These mashed potatoes sound so good right now–I need a jacket to walk outside so winter is most definitely here in Phoenix. Happy New Year to you and your family!
Haha! I love the Millhouse reference there, Kelsie. I haven’t watched the Simpsons in a few years now, but it was one of my favorites when I was younger. (On a side note, it’s incredible that that show is still on the air!) I’m laughing at the idea of Cookie + Robbie together. I’m thinking we put them in a room and tell them to chase each other. Then we sit back and appreciate the fact that they will take long naps later! 🙂 A jacket, eh? That really is cold!!
Brrrr Chilly Brrrr! We had a cold spell last week, but not that cold! Right now we are in the midst of another huge snow storm! This is perfect weather for comfort food, and this shepherds pie fits the bill! Warm and cozy and you cook it in the oven – more warmth! 🙂 Happy New Year, David!
Oh my gosh, you’ve got that right, Kathy. Brrr chilly brrr. It has been downright frigid here lately! We’re going to hit 20°F today, and I’m excited about it…it hasn’t been that warm in well over a week! And the high later this week is -1°F. -1. Seriously!? This is definitely comfort food season, and this version of shepherd’s pie is delicious. In fact, I’m thinking of making it again soon! I hope you and your family had a wonderful holiday season, my friend! Happy New Year!
It has been really cold in Minnesota too. This shepherds pie looks like the perfect comfort food during this cold weather!
Yes! This twist on shepherd’s pie was the perfect meal for these cold nights…in fact, we’re thinking about making another batch of it soon. It was that good! 🙂 Stay warm, Dawn, and thank you for the kind comment, my friend!